The American Marquis by Nick Carter — page 199: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

au ha = a i - 7 i ‘ > Vii ¢ . ® ' mn A 1 ‘ : iy ’ y t a ths - ; “Eh! ad a : P) 7 Y J a 4 4 y i % 7 f| ae THE AMERICAN MARQUIS. Cae Bala ZN LC REN A Cait De AW Lda a My ata baie pers Cannan Tpit Mn Sire : SEAS ek bp gg (hin d 7 ca he aks eee : ; hy | Ft ke a \ ’ he Vem ri ; ‘pre ot 4 ws Pop . ee 7 f ane Yes) AOD * ; J ANe “ . A Ry ene ee + Ete WP NS H Pete | TAA a 7 ye 4 r Tet A - As ‘I wife came up before him, and one by one they racked his soul, He took no heed of the dying man. He.paced the cham- ber, stepping at each turn with hideous unconsciousness over the two dead bodies. ‘¢Great Heaven!” he exclaimed, *‘can I ever atone fox this awful sin against one of your angels. Grace, Grace, my darling wife, can you look at me again without pic ing?” He suddenly thought of her letter in his pocket. He Wore riedly drew it out and tore it open. ‘‘My Dariinc Honore :—You may cease to love me when you read this letter. I expect that, for I no longer have any right to your love; but you may be able to forgive me. Please do so if you can.” After that followed a succinct story of her marriage to Clinton Hastings. She plainly said that at that moment a sudden and real love for her husband had sprung up in her heart. She could not explain it, but shé would confess it. She made no attempt to excuse herself or shift blame or > responsibility on Alphonse. ‘l’hen she went on: ‘¢ When I first saw you, my Honore—please let me call you so until this letcer is finished. When I close this letter my love and my life will both go out. ‘‘When I first saw you, my darling, I loved you, andI have loved you with an increasing love ever since. «T knew you loved me, and I hoped and dreaded to have you tell me of it. ‘I thought I was free to marry you, but I also knew I had no right to do so with a secret like mine locked in my heart. - ‘‘That dreadful but ever blessed night, when in the midst of death you spoke the love I felt, I was supremely happy. ‘‘T thought we were going to death together, and that I need not risk your contempt by telling my secret. ‘‘After we were saved I tried to gain courage several times A tell you, but you spoke so vehemently about any previous love that I lost my heart and weakly held my tongue. ~ €*Qh, Honore, if you could but realize how Ihave suffered since, you would forgive me. “My heart is bruised and sore, and now the blows that fall upon it are no longer felt. Hs ‘‘My husband, Clinton Hastings, has come for me, and I must go to im. ‘But I cannot live long now. I know it, and it is my only happi- ness. ‘‘Honore, my dear, dear Honore, “Once your wife, your Po) Gh) MRO comicbooks-com —